


A Winter Visit

by Dirade



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Aged-Up Jamie Bennett (Rise of the Guardians), Baking, Christmas, College, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-30 07:58:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17220014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dirade/pseuds/Dirade
Summary: Jack tries to surprise Jamie with some Christmas cookies.





	A Winter Visit

**Author's Note:**

> This is for the RotG Secret Santa exchange on Tumblr.   
> This is to fill [wickedends](http://wickedends.tumblr.com/) first request: something warm and fluffy ft. baking and some Bennefrost.   
> Hope you enjoy!

Jamie wakes up to the smell of freshly baked cookies, which is weird, because he lives alone. He's a poor college student in a small apartment, and the only other person who has the key is his housemate, and he went home for winter break. The thought of a burglar crosses Jamie's mind, but with the scent of baked goods still in the air, that doesn't seem quite right either. 

 

After staring at the ceiling in debate for another minute, Jamie decides that the smell is probably from next door or something and he doesn't need to worry about it. Just as he's started to drift off again, a violent clatter of noise startles him awake, his heart pounding in his chest. That definitely came from inside the apartment. A burglar it is, then. 

 

Jamie gingerly raises himself out of bed, surveying the room for a possible weapon. He contemplates the chair, but that seems too bulky. He considers the lamp, but the cord might get in his way. Then he sees it, the perfect weapon: his math team trophy. 

 

Brandishing the gleaming object like a baseball bat, Jamie creeps into the hallway, noticing a faint light coming from the main living area, coincidentally where the kitchen is as well. He takes a deep breath, adjusting his grip as he goes closer. As he peeks around the corner of the hall, it occurs to him that he's holding a faux-metal, partially glittery giant addition sign that, given its weight, seems to be made out of hollow plastic. He’s suddenly a lot less confident in his house-defending abilities. 

 

But soon he realizes that won't be an issue. There's only one person, or rather spirit, with hair like that. Not to mention that, Jamie, upon straightening to his full height, sees a familiar crooked staff leaning upon the counter. 

 

A smile pulls at Jamie's lips as he moves into the kitchen, carefully stepping over the assorted cutlery on the floor (very likely the source of the clatter) to stand behind Jack, who's looking intently at the pages of a cookbook and muttering to himself. “Snow and powdered sugar are the same. They look the same. They taste… the same.” 

 

“Wildly incorrect,” Jamie says. 

 

Jack shrieks louder than Jamie would have thought possible and whips around to face him, brandishing a clearly already used measuring cup. Jack’s scream turns into more a squeal as a grin breaks out across his face at the sight of his old friend. “Jamie!” Jack all but bellows, jumping into the boy’s arms and wrapping his legs around Jamie’s waist like an oversized koala clinging to a tree. 

 

Jamie stumbles under the additional weight but hugs Jack back just as tightly, burying his face in the winter spirit’s shoulder, the scent of pine and ice filling his senses. “Hey, buddy,” Jamie mumbles back, something warm and soft growing in his chest. 

 

Jamie doesn’t know how long they stay like that, just that he doesn’t care about the burning of his muscles or the trembling of his thighs or the stinging in his eyes as long as he can keep holding Jack in his arms. Finally, though, Jack starts to squirm, and Jamie lets him down with a small chuckle. Jamie’s about to be disappointed by the loss of contact, but Jack links their hands once he’s settled back on the ground, looking up at Jamie with a smile that Jamie can never forget. 

 

It’s strange to be taller than Jack now, but neither one of them minds. There’s something captivating about looking down into Jack’s sapphire eyes, or the way Jack can jump into his arms without a second thought. It’s a different kind of feeling to be the one who can take care of Jack now, even if it’s just in small ways. Jack gave so much to Jamie; it feels good to be able to finally repay, at least in part, a magical childhood. 

 

“So, how’s college?” Jack asks, bouncing on the balls of his feet. 

 

“Good!” Jamie chirps automatically. He pauses to reevaluate his words. He looks at Jack again, those wide eyes and a smile that’s never left his side. He can tell the truth. “Well, actually, it’s been weird,” Jamie starts, chewing on his lip. Jack’s expression softens, and Jamie’s heart melts just a little bit. “The first few months were the hardest. I’ve never been away from home for so long. I missed my parents and my dog. I even missed Sophie.” Jamie laughs, but it’s a quiet sound. “I saw them for Thanksgiving, but it just didn’t work out for Christmas.” Jack squeezes Jamie’s hand. Jamie looks at their joined hands, a smile twitching at his lips. “It’s better now, though. Finals are over. I’ve made some new friends. I think I just needed some time to recharge.” 

 

Jack nods sagely. “Tell me about your friends. What are they like?” He wiggles his eyebrows. “Are any of them into snowball fights?” 

 

“Well…” 

 

They migrate to the couch and Jamie spends the next 20 minutes giving Jack detailed descriptions of all his friends, from the Canadian girl who annihilated him in a snowball fight to the Floridian boy who couldn't stop laughing when the first snowfall came. He's finally gotten to explaining how he'd glimpsed Jack through the window of his classroom when the first and only snow so far this season had started, when Jamie smells something strange. 

 

“Jack, did you… burn something?” 

 

Jack laughs, the sound like tinkling ice. “No, actually. I perfectly timed my baking so I could keep an eye on the clock. And I didn’t even set a timer because I know exactly what time…” Jack trails off, his smile melting into an expression of realization. “Oh no…” 

 

Jamie glances at the clock. “It’s 9:43,” Jamie comments helpfully. 

 

“Oh no!” Jack yelps, leaping from his seat and vaulting over the back of the couch and the counter in his hurry to get to the oven. Jamie follows in his wake, but he goes around the furniture. He slides into the kitchen just in time to see Jack engulfed by a cloud of black smoke. 

 

Jack starts to cough, turning away as smoke continues to trickle from the oven. Jamie pulls his t-shirt up to cover his mouth as Jack peers into the oven, making another exclamation of dismay. 

 

“Oven mitts!” Jamie yells as he sees Jack lean forward. 

 

“Oven mitts,” Jack echoes back, clearly just remembering that necessity. He grabs the mitts and pulls out the faintly smoking tray of cookies, placing it on the stovetop with a frown. 

 

Jamie fans a hand through the air, coming over to survey the charred remains of the cookies. “Were they, uh, chocolate cookies?” Jamie offers. 

 

“Sugar cookies,” Jack replies miserably, shoulders sagging. 

 

Jamie looks at the black dough and nods. 

 

“I was going to surprise you…” Jack mumbles. 

 

“Well…” Jamie says. “We can always just make some more.” 

 

Jack lights up. “Yeah?” 

 

“Of course,” Jamie laughs. 

 

After setting up a fan to waft away the smoke, the two get back to work. Jack manages to scrub out the remains of his first batch while Jamie decides that it’s in both of their best interests to start on the batter by himself. He’s just started adding the wet ingredients when Jack hops over with a dripping wet pan in his hands, grinning proudly. “All done!” he exclaims, holding out the tray. 

 

Jamie watches as water drips onto the floor. “Have you considered drying it?” 

 

Another look of understanding dawns across Jack’s face as he looks at the tray in his hands. He chuckles nervously. “Not a bad idea…” he replies sheepishly, grabbing a towel. 

 

Jamie stirs the ingredients together while Jack finishes drying the pan, holding it out again for Jamie’s inspection. “Looks great,” Jamie assures him. Jack beams. 

 

The two of them shape the dough into balls, placing them on a piece of parchment paper (Jamie’s suggestion) on top of the tray. 

 

“You know,” Jack says, looking through the glass window of the oven as Jamie sets a timer, “you’re actually really good at this baking stuff.” 

 

Jamie can’t suppress his laughter at that, but he doesn’t comment further, just pulling Jack into a hug when he stands back up. Jack seems surprised at first, but then he relaxes into the embrace, wrapping his arms around Jamie’s waist. “Thanks for coming,” Jamie whispers into Jack’s shoulder, ignoring the stinging in his eyes. 

 

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Jack replies. 

**Author's Note:**

> I may add some more chapters to this work to fulfill wickedends other requests, but for now I hope everyone enjoys!


End file.
